Poster collecting has gotten crazy in the Phish scene these days. These sought-after, limited edition prints often go on sale exactly when doors open, if not hours beforehand outside the venue, all but eliminating the chance for the casual concert-goer to grab one. And hence the allure. Even the nights that all the posters are sold at merch stands when doors open, they are sold out before the show begins, and if the print is a Pollock, its a race to the tables and they are gone in minutes. The aftermarket for this artwork has also blossomed with the $50 prints grabbing up to $200 in the post-tour hype, and even more on EBay. Hiring a different artist for every show or run this Fall, Phish offered a diversity of prints to take home as a souvenir or an investment. Artwork is subjective, and everyone has their own tastes, but these are my five favorite prints from Fall Tour 2010. (Pictures of all prints can be found on Phish’s Facebook page under “Photos”)

****

5. 10/30 Atlantic City – Artist: Nate Duval (Run of 550)

The middle print of a three-piece holiday set, this one stands out from the rest. Celebrating the honey bee – the state bug of New Jersey – this Queen Beehive with a seeing eye struck me the moment I saw it. While the other two prints in the series are also very cool, the surrounding patterns and bizarre visual effect of this image put it over the top.

10/30 (Duval)

****

4. 10/26 Manchester, NH – Artist: Ken Taylor (Run of 600)

This print plays off Western Observatory in Derryfield Park, an actual landmark in Manchester, New Hampshire. Artist, Ken Taylor, dropped in on the forum at Phishposters.com saying that his intent for the image was to have the tree symbolize Phish taking over Manchester. Well, Ken’s premonition proved to be on point as Phish took the New Hampshire town by storm.This fairly dark and mysterious print pops to life in person with the use of metallic inks; not your run of the mill Phish poster

10/26 (Ken Taylor)

****

3. 10/24 Amherst, MA – Artist: Jim Pollock (Run of 625)

This Pollock print for the second night of Amherst trumps his work on the first by leaps and bounds. Centered on a crest in which each quadrant represents a band member, the words “Boy, Man, God, Shit” surround the central image. Another single – or third – eye appears over the top of the print in the “Phish” font, a theme present on three separate prints this tour. Pollack combined a colonial scene with an underwater theme below the date, as colonists and their horse appear in full snorkel gear. This brightly colored print bursts with detail and has been a pricey purchase in the secondary market.

10/24 (Jim Pollock)

****

2. 10/22 Providence – Artist: Marq Spusta (Run 650)

This is easily the most detailed print from Fall Tour. Blending an underwater scene with an intricately designed forest, eleven squid cling to an ark at dusk. Jellyfish, sea stars, seahorses (fuckin’ love em!) and other detailed pieces from under the sea surround them in a print that only gets more interesting the more you look at it. Probably many people’s pick for the poster of tour, this one is a visual treat.

10/22 (Marq Spusta)

****

1. 10/19 Augusta, ME – Artist: Scott Cambpell(Run of 700)

Augusta’s poster is my personal favorite due to its sharp, borderline-animated artwork, dramatic shape, and vibrant colors. Scott Campbell’s pieces have always struck a chord with me, and when I saw this print it immediately caught my eye. Alluding to “Cavern,” the poster includes the lryic “It’s later than you think” above the date of the show. The image portrays light shafts beaming into a cave onto a mud rat detector, or some sort of projector, under a ceiling dripping with stalagtites that spell “Phish.” Aside from any Phishy symbolism, this piece struck me as the boldest and most powerful artwork from of Fall Tour.

A start-to-finish smoker, the second show of tour provided a huge step forward from night one. The first – and arguably – more exciting set featured a classic “Jim,” “Foam” opener, and a stellar sequence of “Wolfmans,” “Reba,” “Halley’s > Tweezer.” The highlight of this run was “Reba,” a version that would be sitting on the tour’s top-shelf were it not for Augusta’s masterpiece. The set-opening triumvirate of “Golden Age > Piper > Camel Walk” and a late set “Twist” starred in the second half. But no matter how many times Phish tries it, “Number Line” just doesn’t work as a set closer.

I: Runaway Jim, Foam, Back on the Train, Wolfman’s Brother, Reba, Halley’s Comet > Tweezer, What Things Seem*, The Squirming Coil, Run Like an Antelope

II: Golden Age > Piper > Camel Walk, Alaska, Gotta Jibboo, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Twist, Fluffhead, Backwards Down the Number Line

This entry was posted on Friday, November 19th, 2010 at 2:05 am and is filed under Uncategorized.
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627 Responses to “Five Posters From Fall”

I know this post is late, but I really wish someone would have told me that they had these limited addition posters. I guess it is because I usually have a hard time being early to the shows. Hopefully, I can get one or two at MSG.